Category: Over The Top Services

Mumbai:  Amazon miniTV – Amazon’s free video streaming service on the Amazon shopping app and Fire TV, has unveiled a teaser, announcing its upcoming series ‘HUNTER Tootega Nahi Todega’. This action thriller features one of Bollywood’s most recognised and action stars Suniel Shetty in the lead as A.C.P Vikram Sinha. It also features cast featuring- Esha Deol, Rahul Dev, and Barkha Bisht in pivotal roles, alongside Mihir Ahuja, Teena Singh, Chahat Tejwani, Karanvir Sharma, Siddharth Kher, Gargi Sawant and Pawan Chopra. The eight part episodic series is produced by Yoodlee Films – the film division of Saregama India Ltd. and directed by Prince Dhiman & Alok Batra, is set to premiere on Amazon miniTV on 22 March for free. 

The teaser of ‘HUNTER Tootega Nahi, Todega’ gives a sneak peek into the life of A.C.P Vikram and his path to redemption in the pursuit of truth. Laced with action, performances, dialogues and a narrative set in the midst of songs of Saregama, the series is set to keep audiences hooked throughout. 

Talking on the announcement of the show, Shetty said, “Action as a genre is something I have always been passionate about and Hunter Tootega Nahi, Todega is helping me relive that passion. All over again. It is a project that has truly been a team effort. I was hooked on to the character of ACP Vikram Sinha, from the word go. He is the ‘One man army’ that we have heard of often. Totally raw and rigid.” 

He added, “To associate with Yodlee Films who helped bring to life this jaw dropping action thriller, combined with the nationwide reach of Amazon miniTV as the streaming partner, I am sure audiences across India will love the show.” 

Amazon advertising head Girish Prabhu said, “At Amazon miniTV, we are always looking to diversify our content offering and entertain audiences across India. With Hunter – Tootega Nahi Todega, we look to present audiences with an action-packed thriller for the first time with one of Bollywood’s most versatile actors – Suniel Shetty! With its strong unique story, a stellar ensemble and the support of Yoodlee Films as the production partner, we’re certain that the show will get the pulses of audiences racing.” 

Saregama India Ltd. VP film & events Siddhart Anand Kumar said, “Hunter Tootega Nahi Todega is a story that will grip audiences right from the start. We are glad to partner with Amazon miniTV, with its massive reach audiences across India will be able to enjoy this series for free! We are thrilled to release the 8-episode series featuring one of India’s biggest action stars, Suniel Shetty in the lead. He is a treat to watch every time he is on screen, and this time he is going to don the cop’s hat in a series full of action, twists and thrills!”

Mumbai: MX Player has once again cemented its position as a leader amongst OTT platforms in India taking a commanding lead in the ‘Top ten OTT shows of 2022 list across India’ by Chrome OTT (COTT), with the most number of shows compared to others in the list. Three of its shows – Shiksha Mandal, Dharavi Bank, and Roohaniyat Season two – are on the list. MX Player’s web series have consistently seen success and it has outshone others such as Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+Hotstar, and Zee5, to be the leader in the Indian OTT space. Shiksha Mandal, MX Player’s Original crime thriller series, achieved the number two spot with 39.10 million views, while Suniel Shetty’s OTT debut Dharavi Bank secured number four with 33.04 million views. Roohaniyat Season two was positioned at spot number nine with 25.95 million views. This achievement is a testament to its commitment to delivering engaging entertainment to its audiences.

While MX Player has successfully managed to secure three spots on the list, Disney+Hotstar’s Criminal Justice: Adhura Sach was number one  and House of Dragons secured the number ten spot with 70.36 million and 37.71 million views, respectively. Maharani season two from SonyLiv has secured the number 5 spot with 32.65 million views, while Delhi Crime Season two from Netflix has claimed the number six spot with 31.51 million views. The number seven and number eight spots have been taken by Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and Zee5’s Duranga with 31.20 million and 28.98 million views, respectively. Finally, Netflix’s Jamtara Season 2 has secured the number ten spot on the list with a reach of 25.75 million views.

Chrome Data Analytics & media founder & CEO Pankaj Krishna said, “Entertainment acts as a huge stabilizer for hope and despair during turbulent times. Entertainment builds movement, sometimes even collective consciousness surpassing strained realities and obscure tragedies. OTT platforms have certainly cracked the formula. The rising ‘chord-cutting phenomenon has further cemented a promising future with unprecedented numbers conceptualizing a winning formula for the times ahead.” 

Mumbai: NBA commissioner Adam Silver is on Disney’s shortlist to succeed Bob Iger as CEO.

According to reports, Silver is a finalist for the top position at Walt Disney that has been open since Bob Iger resigned.

The NBA has extended Silver’s contract until 2024. Silver is currently in the process of negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement with the NBPA as well as new media rights agreements with its broadcast partners.

As the NBA and Disney have a broadcasting agreement, it has also been reported that Silver’s position at NBA may present a conflict of interest.

Other on list includes Candle Media co-founder and co-CEO Kevin Mayer, and Disney co-chairman Dana Walden.

Since Silver would be fresh off the completion of two significant deals, the timing of his current contract would make sense if he were to leave the NBA.

Mumbai: aha, one of India’s regional OTT, has won the Internet & Mobile Association of India’s (IAMAI) India Digital Awards 2023 ‘Best Entertainment App’ Award under the category Best Mobile & App Awards. The awards recognize the best in India’s digital ecosystem, including individuals, companies, and innovations.

aha, in three years since its inception in 2020, has scaled to 9 million monthly active users, 2 million plus active subscribers, overseas subscribers of over 100k and 32 million app downloads. It is the only app providing 100 per cent local content in Telugu and Tamil, respectively, which includes new content every Friday, first-of-its-kind originals, movies, talk shows, reality shows, games and live news.

aha, endorsed by celebrities Allu Arjun and Vijay Devarakonda, is seen as the most preferred Telugu OTT service, according to industry surveys. It’s also being talked about for its user-friendly features as an app and its unique distribution strategy, which ensures that everyone has access to its original local content through a wide range of channels – from local cable networks to grocery stores in public areas.

The endeavor to make the app the best source for regional entertainment continues. The brand recently announced its plans to invest Rs 1000 crore to expand it into new languages and genres. aha’s promoter, Ramu Rao Jupally, and CEO, Ajit Thakur, also reinforced their commitment to making the OTT service channel a super app in the next three years.

Happy with aha’s latest feat at the digital awards, Jupally said, “We are immensely proud of this recognition, which acknowledges our efforts to contribute to the Indian digital ecosystem through the entertainment sector. aha began with a need to provide new-age entertainment content in Telugu, and today it is synonymous with delivering 100 per cent local content in Telugu and Tamil. We look forward to strengthening this position by bridging the OTT regional content gap across all languages in the next three years.”

Thakur added, “We are thrilled to have received the ‘Best Entertainment App’ award at IAMAI’s India Digital Awards, and it’s an honor to be recognized for our efforts. It further validates the success of aha, given its recent trail of achievements as an OTT service provider of 100 per cent local entertainment. We are committed to further transforming this experience by making it a super app in the next three years with content beyond films and original series; it includes interactive content, gaming and tapping into the hybrid model, which is the future of the streaming platforms.”

aha has, in the past, been awarded the Regional Platform of the Year and Game Changer of the Year at Economic Times SPOTT Awards 2022. The OTT service provider has started working on its plans to launch in Malayalam and Kannada.

Mumbai: Sony LIV’s MasterChef India is going international to Yas Island, Abu Dhabi’s leading leisure and entertainment destination. The culinary reality show will be stepping out of the MasterChef Kitchen and taking the home cooks to Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, for fun, frolic and food! The popular cooking reality show has brought together the best home cooks in the country for an exciting challenge that not only tests their culinary skills but also prepares them for world-class cooking.

The contestants will have the opportunity to work closely with local cuisine and learn about various cultural nuances. The contestants will face five challenges on Yas Island, from cooking cultural dishes with the mystery box, to preparing street style dishes and recreating a local sweet in – the MasterChef kitchen. Find out which contestants will move closer to realizing their dream of becoming the next MasterChef India, and who will bid farewell to the show. Don’t miss the excitement, watch the show streaming on Sony LIV at 9 p.m.

MasterChef India’s panel of judges – chef Vikas Khanna, and chef Ranveer Brar are joined by, for the very first time, chef Garima Arora, the first Indian woman to win four Michelin stars.. The judges have been guiding, grilling, and gracefully mentoring each contestant to become India’s MasterChef. The show witnesses’ contestants from across the country battling for the title of MasterChef India.

Miral Destinations CEO Liam Findlay said, “Indian and Middle Eastern cuisines share a profound cultural affinity. We are thrilled to partner with MasterChef India and host the chefs and contestants on Yas Island. India is one of the top source markets for Yas Island and   through this partnership we want to not only showcase our award-winning attraction but also connect with the wider Indian audience globally. “

Mumbai: WATCHO, one of the fastest-growing OTT platforms by India’s leading content distribution company -Dish TV India Limited – today announced the premiere of the original crime thriller series- EXPLOSIVE. The show’s intriguing plot and compelling characters make it an ideal blend of mystery, suspense, drama, and excitement that will appeal to fans of the crime thriller genre.

The series is produced by Rudrakshnam Films led by Tanishq Raj and Jagriti Rajpoot. Shaurya Singh skillfully directs the tightly written story, while Avaninder Kushwaha’s heart-throbbing background music complements the plot. Nibedita Paul, Manmohan Tiwari, and Sachin Verma deliver lively performances as Kiran, Neerav, and inspector Tejas, respectively.

Commenting on the launch, Dish TV India Ltd. corporate head – marketing, DishTV & WATCHO Sukhpreet Singh said, “EXPLOSIVE is a story with amazing characters and an unexpected plot that keeps viewers hooked to the screen. The author has skilfully woven the story with reveals and twists that keep the tension high. The plot provides a comprehensive view of each character’s role in the series. We have received a tremendous response from our viewers on our previous crime thrillers. We anticipate the same success with “EXPLOSIVE.” This new addition to the crime thriller genre strengthens WATCHO’s content offering which is amazingly diversified and caters to our customers across the country.”

Mumbai: Vi has partnered with Atrangii to offer premium subscription regional content to its users at no extra cost.

With access to Atrangii’s exclusive digital content, Vi users can now binge on their favorite shows across genres such as thriller, mythology, crime, comedy, romance and much more. 

The offering includes diverse Hindi content catalogue from latest releases like The Golden Harvest, Panchali, Paro, The Devil Inside to shows such as The Bull of Dalal Street, Tandoor, Paper, Client No 7, Tadap, Shuddhi, Chhal, Pehchaan, Online Fraud, Parshuram.

With this, Vi has further strengthened its rich content library on the Vi app. Vi users can access premium OTT platforms like Atrangii, ZEE5, Discovery, Shemaroo, Hungama, Yupp TV, Pocket Films. User can also access more than 400 Live TV channels including the likes of Zee TV, Zee Cinema, Colors HD, Colors Infinity, Discovery, MTV, History TV,  Comedy Central, Animal Planet, Nick & many more and Live News on channels like Aaj Tak, India Today, CNBC Awaaz, Republic TV, ABP News, NDTV 24×7, CNN News 18 & many more.

Mumbai: The former CEO Cosmos-Maya Anish Mehta has founded the creator tech business Animeta today announced numerous strategic hiring. The firm is positioned for significant success in the Asian creator market because to the new leadership team, which unites seasoned experts from the most cutting-edge and significant digital and media companies in the globe.

Vipasha Joshi who will serve as COO, Krishna Desai who will serve as CPO, and Biswamitra “Vishu” Ray, who will oversee branded content and creative initiatives at Animeta, are among the new hires. These hires come after Devdatta Potnis, who was formerly at Cosmos Maya and Viacom, was just named the company’s CEO.

Animeta’s CEO Devdatta Potnis is in charge of the company’s expansion, scalability, and development of a strong staff. At Indian animation studio Cosmos-Maya, where he most recently served as chief growth officer, Potnis was crucial in commissioning content deals totaling $100+ million and expanding the staff from 30 to over 1,000.

He said, “Our AI-powered platform will provide talented creators with multi-platform monetization opportunities while increasing their communities in regional and international markets. I am glad that we have a stellar team with the right and relevant experiences to accomplish this.”

Among the new appointees, Vipasha will lead creator growth and content strategy at Animeta across all major verticals, languages and regions. Joshi’s experience includes eight years as head of diversity at Google India, and stints at Dentsu and Jellysmack, where she developed the creator program in APAC and grew creator revenue fivefold across multiple platforms.

“Animeta offers holistic, all-encompassing, sustainable growth for our creator partners, and I am happy to make a meaningful difference in the creators’ lives,” said Joshi.

The creation of the AI-powered platform that will supply data and business analytics to support Animeta’s operations will be overseen by chief product officer and Data Scientist Krishna Desai. Desai is a media expert with more than 22 years of experience in the media and television sectors. He has created data-driven programs for top international corporations, such as WPP and WarnerMedia, where he served as network head.

“I am excited to build an AI-powered tech product that has the potential to change the lives of millions of social content creators across the world and bring about a paradigm shift in the industry”, said Desai.

Biswamitra “Vishu” Ray, who will focus on superstar creator growth and partnerships as SVP of branded content and creator projects, completes the new leadership group. Ray previously worked for Meta for eight years, leading creator strategy for Facebook and Instagram in India and overseeing the platforms’ connections with the most popular and skilled creators there.

“I’m fortunate that my creator friends perceive me as an ‘enabler,’” said Ray. “With my role at Animeta, I intend to do exactly that — enable more opportunities for creators and bring about a holistic, concerted effort which will lead to their sustained, scalable, well-rounded growth.”

Mumbai:  ReDefine, a global VFX and animation boutique,  has announced the launch of its sixth studio in India, located in Trivandrum. Launching the latest studio in India marks a significant step in the company’s continued expansion in the region and is part of ReDefine’s vision of redefining the art of VFX and Animation. The new studio will create exciting job prospects for professionals in the field while elevating the VFX and Animation industry with high-quality content. With its state-of-the-art infrastructure, the new studio in Trivandrum will enable ReDefine to cater to the growing demand for VFX and Animation services, both domestically and internationally.

Increased usage of OTT and new streaming platforms has led to a rise in demand for content; this new location will be vital to the company’s mission to provide world-class visual effects and animation services to its global clientele.

The studio will be led by a senior group of artists and technicians, who will collaborate with the company’s global teams to bring long-form animated episodic work and special projects to life.

“At ReDefine, we are constantly pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the world of VFX and animation,” said ReDefine managing director Rohan Desai. “We have more projects on our plate than ever before, and our new office in Trivandrum is set to play a significant role in our global network of studios. This exciting expansion will bring our clients’ imaginative ideas to life and further solidify our reputation as a leading player in the industry. With this new move, the company is poised for even greater success in the years to come.”

Speaking on the launch of the new office, ReDefine CG head Manu PK said, “We’re thrilled to tap into Trivandrum’s talent pool and provide opportunities for artists and technicians. Our talented team, combined with the wealth of creative talent in the region, will allow us to produce animated content like never before. The growing demand for premium content presents a huge opportunity for us, and we are confident that our Trivandrum studio will be a major boon in our global network of studios.”

Speaking on the launch, ReDefine Trivandrum VFX head Sajeer Abdul Salam said, “I’m thrilled to be part of our new VFX office and to showcase our exceptional visual effects to an even wider range of projects and clients. Our team is dedicated to pushing the limits of what’s possible, delivering outstanding results and setting new standards of excellence in the VFX industry. We work closely with clients to bring their visions to life, leveraging cutting-edge techniques and state-of-the-art technology to stay ahead of the curve. Together, we’re well-positioned for even greater achievements, and I’m eager to see the incredible projects we’ll create.”

Mumbai: Knorish, a creator monetization platform, has announced the launch of the world’s first AI-powered FunnelsGPT, which is specially designed for content creators, helping them in creating better and quicker content and copy for social media, landing pages or online ads. Knorish is building the world’s most convenient platform for creator monetisation through a sales funnel for online courses, webinars and memberships. In Oct ’22, the startup raised a Pre-Series A extension round from Silverneedle Ventures and other marquee investors. Knorish is building the world’s most convenient platform for creator monetisation through a sales funnel for online courses, webinars and memberships.

Studies show that back in 2020, the global online learning industry was worth $197 billion, which is estimated to grow to $840 billion by 2030. Powered by predictive generative text-based AI technologies, FunnelsGPT provides course creators with high-conversion landing page content, captivating social media posts, and compelling ad copies to strengthen their online presence and improve conversion rates. With the power of AI, Funnels GPT can scour through millions of content pieces and give outstanding responses in seconds. With all-natural language processing tools and other GPTs, the tool is not meant for original academic research. It supports course creators to write better content for marketing and promoting their coaching businesses online.

One of the active users of Funnels GPT, Sanjeev Kapoor, an Indian celebrity chef said, “FunnelsGPT is a brilliant opportunity to create highly engaging and effective content for any online business. The AI-powered tool has also enabled the team at Sanjeev Kapoor Academy to craft compelling and persuasive copy and content that has helped us convert more prospects into active learners.”

“FunnelsGPT is a game-changer for content creators. It will help our users to create more compelling and effective content without spending hours brainstorming and writing,” said Knorish CEO & founder Kinner N Sacchdev. He further commented, “With FunnelsGPT, our users can focus on what they do best – sharing their expertise with the world – while our AI tool will help them grow their coaching business faster with more precise and effective copy & content.”

On the development, an Investor of Knorish, Silverneedle Ventures founder & managing partner Ajay Jain said, “The amazing thing about Knorish founders is they want to stay ahead of the curve. FunnelsGPT is another step towards that. We are entering an era where AI is becoming creative & the marriage of the content guys with deeper technology would ensure overall quality improvement. This can really help Knorish’s overall business growth & set trends in the market.”

“At Knorish, we see FunnelsGPT as the most intelligent collaborator that helps you overcome a big hindrance in writing great content – Creativity. The tool gives you specific high-quality responses based on the prompts you use. So, in essence, it acts as an excellent writing coach helping you craft better content by adding flavour on top of your existing ideas,” said Knorish co-founder & CBO Rakhi Wadhwa.